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Topic: Hell's Kitchen 11 (Read 7679 times)

Ramsay tests each chef’s ability to identify ingredients relying solely on their taste buds in the blind taste challenge. The winning team is granted a luxurious sushi meal overlooking the ocean followed by a relaxing day of horseback riding. Meanwhile, the losing team is charged with delivery day duties and backbreaking labor in HELL’S KITCHEN. Later, Chef Ramsay presented the chefs with a surprising challenge in order to determine which contestant deserves immunity in the next dinner service.

Cyndi and Anthony were selected to test their sense of touch, meaning to place their hands inside a box and identify the ingredient inside. Both Cyndi and Anthony earned the first point when they were able to identify the raw eggs inside and quickly scored another when they recognized the polenta in the second box. At the third box, Anthony took the lead when Cyndi fails to identify ice-cold oysters, but then it was clarified that this was just a warm-up and not the real Challenge.The real Challenge is a Blind Taste Test, with each of the 3 male chefs competing against one of the female chefs and then the first man to compete against the 4th female chef.

Mary vs. Zach - Zach took the first point with scallions while Mary wrongly guessed shallots; neither is able to identify the papayas and Mary thought the turkey was egg yolk; they both scored on zucchini. Blue 3 Red 1Ja’Nel vs. Anthony – he missed broccoli as potato; he missed pistachios for cashews; both missed tuna for halibut; Ja’Nel got prune while Anthony missed with licorice Blue 0 Red 3Cyndi vs. Jon – both got cheddar; he got duck right while she missed with chicken; Jon was wrong with squash while she got parsnip right; both were wrong with cauliflower when it was Brussels sprouts Blue 2 Red 2Susan vs. Zach – Zach guessed celery and Susan radish when it was white asparagus; Zach got boiled egg white while Susan missed with soy; they both guessed peas when it was garbanzo beans; Zach guessed white radish wrong while Susan got cauliflower. Blue 1 Red 1

FINAL SCORE Blue 6 Red 7

The Red team won again and had only lost one Challenge the entire competition. Their reward is spectacular, fresh seafood lunch at Nobu in Malibu, complete with an amazing dining experience beachside in the sun and followed by Red team members treated to an afternoon of horseback riding in Malibu. The Blue team’s punishment was to put on back braces and unloading heavy bags of flour and ice from arriving trucks, then bread. They unloaded too many ice bags when they needed only 15 25-pound bags and 20 50-pound bags, so they had to carry the overage back to the ice truck.

The Black jackets arrived but each of the 7 remaining chefs has to first earn one and there is one less than the n umber of chefs. A surprise challenge was all had 45 minutes to make Ramsay whatever they wanted, with no restrictions. Whoever prepares the entrée he likes best will be exempt from elimination no matter what happens at the next dinner service. Here were the dishes and ratings:Ja’Nel – with pan-seared duck breast, with a Cuban-scented sweet potato puree and orange-glazed green beans, she goes into the lead Anthony – a mediocre dish of seared rib eye that he's seasoned with chili powder, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning, with caramelized carrots on the sideSusan – her lamb is raw, so she is out Jon – delicious dish that propels him to the lead, seared mahi mahi and citrus quinoa with a tropical fruit syrup.Mary – pan-seared beef filet with a red wine reduction, with some jus, chicken stock, shallots and garlic; the sauce was heavy and over-reducedZach – tiny beef medallions topped with large prawns is a poor conceptCyndi - pan-seared halibut, with a "play on succotash": potatoes, corn, peppers and onion with butter in the cream sauce; fish cooked and plated beautifully

So, it’s time for another TO BE CONTINUED. Why play such games and leave us hanging for 7 nights? It is unworthy of Hell’s Kitchen.

The choice between Jon’s mahi mahi and Cyndi’s halibut was a win for Jon. That gave him immunity for the dinner service. Dinner service prep started soon thereafter. There was Jeremy Sisto and a friend at the Red kitchen VIP table and Maria Menounos and a friend at the Blue kitchen VIP team.

On appetizers it was close between the Red team and the Blue. Anthony, not understanding Ramsay's "out in one" order, still got a VIP order of scallops to the table perfectly. Jon screwed up with a bland risotto. Cyndi was called out for several incidents including producing too much risotto, having a messy station and not calling out orders to the other chefs but still she produced tasty food. Anthony gave the wrong number of lobster tails for Jon's risotto and then overcooked those tails. Anthony and Zach suffered communication issues when Anthony took his fish to the pass before Zach was done on meat for the same table. Susan finally got redemption by cooking perfectly cooked lamb. Ja'Nel cut herself badly but returned to the kitchen and bounced back. Anthony produced raw halibut and Ramsay took him to the back room asking why he kept producing inconsistent results. Zach then cooked raw Beef Wellingtons and realized he has no prepped Wellingtons as backup, resulting in Ramsay taking Susan's perfectly cooked Wellingtons to use in place of Zach's. Zach could not finish a large order of Beef Wellingtons and gave Ramsay an estimate of 20 minutes (normally it is 16 to 17) to recover. Zach showed confusion in the final orders of the night and overcooked the lamb. Ramsay then did the work for Zach because Zach didn't respond to Ramsay fast enough. The Red team finished their service before the Blue team, resulting in the blue team losing the service once again. Ja’Nel’s garnishes were good. Susan did not find a role in this telecast at all and neither did Cyndi after the beginning.

The Red team finished entrees after 2.5 hours and won this episode. Blue lost and Jon had to nominate either Zach or Anthony for elimination. He carefully considered his options and decided on Anthony due to lack of fight and self-confidence. Ramsay agreed and Anthony was gone because his performance had been declining in recent episodes. Zach was not significantly better and I have really disliked his attitude. I predict Zach will be the next chef eliminated.

The Red team had to offer one of their members to go to the Blue team. Ja’Nel thought that the risks were worth it and I agreed with her logic. She had much more to gain than to lose from this move. The poor overall performance of the Blue team can only be improved with her as their leader. Neither Jon nor Zach has the skills at the level she does for leadership of the Blue team. That leaves Cyndi as the de facto leader of the Red team. Susan has been on the fringes of it for a long while. Mary is an individual performer, not a strong leader.

I predict that the order of elimination for the remaining chefs will be:6. Zach5. Susan4. Mary3. Jon

That leaves a finale between Cyndi and Ja’Nel with an easy victory for Ja’Nel. I don’t think Ramsay will ever have had such an easy time to select the Hell’s Kitchen season winner.

I have very sad news. apskip, Arthur E Perkins Jr. died June 10, 2013 in Morristown, N.J., from natural causes. He was a wonderful friend and a integral part of the RFF family. He will truly be missed.

This is another elimination show that I look forward to each season and I agree, this year was a major disappointment. Gordon was disappointed in his offerings as well and you could tell he genuinely tried to find SOMETHING in SOMEONE....lol.

I love Gordon Ramsey. He is without question the best chef in the world and a great guy in real life.

The men had virtually no one in contention at any point this season.

Nedra was psycho.

I thought Ja Nel had potential as did Mary but, Ramsey couldn't stand Mary. She didn't have the personality needed for one of his kitchens.

I read TLs' post in another thread that Ja Nel has turned down the job!!! Go figure.

As for me....I thought he may have gone for the student and he may have very well placed her in some capacity for later use when she gains some experience. She was talented, passionate and at the perfect place in her career for him to train her the right way. She'll have the awesome career out of this bunch. We'll see her in other shows.